The Breast Reconstruction Awareness Campaign Welcomes Patti LaBelle as 2015 Spokesperson
Arlington Heights, Ill. (PRWEB) January 20, 2015 -- The Breast Reconstruction Awareness Campaign is pleased to announce that American singer, author, and actress, Patti LaBelle has joined the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and The Plastic Surgery Foundation (The PSF) to help women “Close the Loop” on breast cancer. As the 2015 Breast Reconstruction Awareness spokesperson, LaBelle will be instrumental in educating and empowering breast cancer patients who are candidates for reconstruction.
“We are thrilled to have the legendary Patti LaBelle join our efforts in promoting the awareness of breast reconstruction options,” said Nicholas Vedder, MD, president of The PSF. “While reconstruction is not for every breast cancer patient who has had a mastectomy or lumpectomy, it should be an informed decision of the patient and her doctor, with an understanding of all the options available. Our goal is to ensure that patients are well informed and empowered in making these important decisions.”
While LaBelle has not personally been diagnosed with breast cancer, like many others she has seen women close to her experience what often is a painful journey, including her best friend who lost her battle to the disease. Turning her personal loss into a commitment to public service, LaBelle’s work on behalf of cancer patients and her efforts to support research organizations and charitable foundations are widely recognized.
“Right now there are more treatment and care options than ever before,” LaBelle said. “Women battling this disease need to have access to information about their rights and options to make informed choices about what's best for them and their life following breast cancer treatment.”
LaBelle will also be encouraging donations to The Plastic Surgery Foundation’s Breast Reconstruction Fund, which funds breast reconstruction research and charitable care through public service announcements and social media activity. LaBelle’s public service announcements will be aired nationally on major cable networks.
The Breast Reconstruction Awareness Campaign is generously supported this year by MTF as a Premium Sponsor, by Allergan as a Gold Sponsor and by Sientra as a Silver Sponsor. ASPS and The PSF are grateful for the contributions and participation from these leading companies.
About ASPS and The PSF
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) is the largest plastic surgery specialty organization in the world. Founded in 1931, the society is composed of board-certified plastic surgeons that perform cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. The mission of ASPS is to advance quality care to plastic surgery patients by encouraging high standards of training, ethics, physician practice and research in plastic surgery. The Society advocates for patient safety, such as requiring its members to operate in accredited surgical facilities that have passed rigorous external review of equipment and staffing.
ASPS works in concert with The Plastic Surgery Foundation (The PSF), founded in 1948, which supports research, international volunteer programs and visiting professor programs. The foundation's mission is to improve the quality of life of patients through research and development. The PSF accomplishes its mission by providing invaluable support to the research of plastic surgery sciences through a variety of grant programs.
Sheila Biggs, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, +1 847-228-3361, [email protected]
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